The present invention is related to wheel ends and a method of making a wheel end to be installed on a vehicle for reduced runout of the vehicle.
Wheel ends and brake modules for motor vehicles are known and have been widely used in the automotive industry for many years. A typical wheel end of a vehicle generally includes a hub to which a half shaft or stub shaft attaches for rotation about an axis. A bearing assembly is disposed on the hub and mounts within a body of a steering knuckle to allow the half shaft, for example, to rotate and drive the hub about the axis. A rotor may be attached to the hub for rotational movement about the axis.
Although current wheel end designs are adequate, manufacturers of wheel end components have been challenged on issues pertaining to on-vehicle runout and lateral runout of wheel ends. It is known that for each interface or connection within a wheel end on a vehicle, a potential for on-vehicle runout or lateral runout is possible during vehicle use. In many situations, on-vehicle runout may range between 25 micron and 100 micron. As a result, an operator or occupant of the vehicle may experience undesirable vibrations and unfamiliar movements of the vehicle when braking or cornering of the vehicle during operation thereof. Many manufacturers of wheel end components have attempted to reduce such on-vehicle or lateral runout with results which may be improved.
Thus, it is one aspect of the present invention to provide a method of making a brake module of a vehicle for reduced lateral runout.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a method of making a wheel end or brake module for reduced lateral runout wherein a hub of the wheel end is machined when the wheel end is assembled and preloaded and wherein the brake module remains assembled and preloaded after machining the hub for installment on a vehicle.
In one embodiment, a method includes assembling a hub and components with bearing surfaces to define an assembled module configured to be mounted on a vehicle and preloading the bearing surfaces of the assembled module. The method further includes mounting the assembled module on a holding fixture and rotating the assembled module on the holding fixture. The method further includes machining a final hub cut on inner and outer portions of the flange of the hub to a flange depth, while rotating, after assembling and preloading the assembled module to define the wheel end of the vehicle. After machining the final cut on the hub, a rotor is affixed to the hub. Then, the wheel end remains assembled and preloaded before installing the brake module on a vehicle. It has been determined that maintaining the wheel end assembled and preloaded after machining maintains a low lateral runout on a vehicle when the wheel end is installed on the vehicle. It has been determined that no additional on-vehicle runout is added onto the wheel end, since the wheel end remains assembled and preloaded after machining.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of the preferred embodiment and appended drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to the same component, element or feature.